by Cathryn Fox
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” Ving asked, his glance bobbing back and forth between the two as he approached. In a familiar fashion he tented his fingers, cracking each knuckle in the process.
“Garrett,” Jenny cried, and pushed past Ving to give her big brother a hug. “I’m so glad you’re here.”
Garrett let go of Tallulah, and returned Jenny’s hug. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world, kiddo.”
She whacked him and gave a playful roll of sapphire-blue eyes that mirrored his. “Yeah, because I know how much you love weddings and believe in happily-ever-after.”
He grinned, not bothering to correct her. But truthfully, it wasn’t that he didn’t believe in happily-ever-after. He just knew he could never be the guy a family needed him to be and he’d eventually let them down, the same way he’d let down everyone he’d ever cared for: his mother, his father, his sister, the family in Afghanistan. The army might have discharged him a hero, but he knew he was anything but.
“Which brings me back to my question,” Ving said, pulling Garrett’s attention back as he took a threatening step toward him. “What the fuck is going on?”
Jenny’s eyes widened and she placed her hand on Ving’s chest. “What’s the matter with you?”
Ving looked at Jenny and his dark eyes softened. Garrett felt his heart pinch. There was no doubt that while his comrade was as tough as nails, he was a big pushover when it came to Jenny. “Your brother here had his arm around Tally.”
Jenny spun around, her long, dark ponytail swinging wildly. “What? Really? What’s going on?”
Garrett once again pulled Tallulah close and Ving snarled. Keeping the grin from his face, Garrett curled his arm around her shoulders and anchored her to his body in a show of possession. His pretend fiancée blinked up at him and when he saw something briefly move over those eyes of her—something that resembled heat—it took all his effort not to drag her to the nearest hotel to sate his need to taste her.
Jenny’s eyes widened in delight as she watched the exchange. “You mean you two? Are you kidding me? When? How?” She whacked her brother again, her bony knuckles digging into his biceps. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
Garrett’s mind raced for a plausible explanation, but without missing a beat Tallulah came to his rescue. “Because you were going through your own whirlwind romance and this week is about you, not us.”
Jesus, Tallulah might be an easy read, but when push came to shove she was quick on her feet and good with her words, making up for her misgivings. Damned if he wasn’t impressed.
Garrett could feel Ving’s hot gaze burning a hole in his plan. Unflinching, Garrett squared his shoulders and stood eye to eye with his comrade.
“I don’t like it.” Ving rubbed his palm over his shaved head and he shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “She’s my kid sister.”
Jenny spun around and glared at him. “I’m his kid sister,” she countered and pointed at Garrett. “And he never had a problem with us hooking up.”
“Yeah, but he’s a…he’s not a…he doesn’t even want…”
As the implication of what he was and what he wasn’t hovered over them, Tallulah piped in, “What he is, is a wonderful man, and the most attentive guy a girl could ask for. He’s very in tune with my needs and you should see the way he is with kids.” They exchanged a long look then she added, “He came to a little boy’s rescue on the plane.”
She’d noticed that?
She shifted closer. “He’ll make an awesome father.”
Oddly enough everything from the conviction in her voice to the way she gazed up at him, her eyes honest and sincere, had him wishing it was true. But he knew better.
Jenny clasped her hands and squealed in delight, and once again Garrett couldn’t help but admire Tallulah’s quick intelligence as she stood up for him. “You’re engaged? Already?” She hugged Tallulah. “But then again who am I to talk. When you know it’s right, you know it’s right.” She clasped Tallulah’s hand and tugged her from Garrett. “Come on. Let’s go grab your luggage and you can tell me all about it.”
“Nope,” Tallulah said. “Like I said, this week is about you, not me.”
As the women walked away, Ving took a threatening step closer. “So help me, if you hurt her.”
Garrett patted his old friend on the shoulder. “If I hurt her, you have my permission to kick my ass.”
“I’ll do more than kick your ass.”
“And I wouldn’t expect anything less. Now come on. How about I buy the groom a beer? You look like you could use one.”
After collecting their luggage, Garrett and Tallulah climbed into the back seat of Ving’s SUV. Jenny talked non-stop about the upcoming bridal shower, the dress fittings scheduled for later that day, the bachelorette party, the private get together at the local pub later that night, and how she was so excited about the two of them hooking up. Every time she turned the attention to them, Tallulah turned it right back around again, and lucky for them Jenny was happy to talk about the wedding.
Ving cast him a glance in the rearview mirror and Garrett pulled Tallulah in close to drop a soft kiss onto her cheek. A shudder moved through her body, and no matter what she said about him not being her type, he knew she felt the sexual tension between them every bit as much as he did. He also knew better than to act on it.
“Do Mom and Dad know about this, Tally?” Ving asked.
Tallulah placed her hand on Garrett’s thigh, and her heat seeped through his jeans, damn near igniting his blood to boil.
“Not yet,” she said. “We thought we’d surprise them.”
Jenny beamed at Garrett. “Well, our mom is already at the hotel, and she’s going to be thrilled when she hears.” Just then Jenny’s cell rang and she fished it out of her purse.
As Jenny spoke excitedly into her phone, Garrett leaned in to Tallulah and lowered his voice for her ears only. “It might look odd to our friends if we get two rooms.”
“I guess I never thought that far ahead.” She nibbled her bottom lip and looked thoughtful for a moment. “Actually I planned to stay with my folks.”
“Then I guess I’ll stay there with you.” When she gave him an odd look, he explained. “People will expect that we’ll want to be close to each other.”
“You know they’ll want us in separate rooms.” The hand on his leg relaxed a bit, and as she bit her lip in thought, he suspected she had no idea it was drifting farther up his leg. He clenched his jaw when his blood began flowing hot and heavy, and his muscles tightened, one in particular. Wide eyes blinked up at him and her nose crinkled. “Which is probably for the best, don’t you think?”
“Yeah,” he agreed, because they both knew this heat between them was explosive, and a locked door and soft bed might be all the spark they needed to ignite the short fuse.
Even though he knew they should sleep apart, he couldn’t help but feel an unwise sense of disappointment. She was sweet, sexy, intelligent as hell, and all kinds of wrong for him, but that didn’t stop him from wanting to take a small taste. One long, leisurely lick from head to toe.
Shit.
He worked to bank his desires, but his damn cock refused to obey. Maybe he never should have suggested this ruse, because keeping his hands to himself when no one was looking just might be harder than he ever anticipated.
The second Ving pulled his SUV into the driveway Tallulah’s folks came out to meet her. Tamping down her anxiety, she climbed from the vehicle and rushed up the porch steps to give them a hug. She stole a quick glance around, half expecting to see her ex, Jason Landry, exiting through the swinging screen door behind them.
After they spun her around and did a thorough inspection to ensure the big city hadn’t corrupted her, her mother looked past her shoulders to see Garrett coming her way. She tented her fingers. “You must be Jenny’s brother. I can see the resemblance.”
“That’s not all he is,” Ving murmured under his breath.
Garrett came up the stairs to stand beside Tallulah, his hand outstretched to her father, who looked utterly skeptical, and maybe even a bit perturbed. Not that she could blame him. Garrett wasn’t the type of guy they expected her to bring home. Then again, when this was all over, and they faked a breakup, her parents would be happy once again. No harm, no foul. Right? But then, wouldn’t she be right back to where she was before this, with her family trying to convince her to move back home because they felt they knew what was best for her? She pushed the thought aside, deciding to cross that bridge when she came to it. Right now she didn’t want to spend any more time agonizing over what it would eventually take to convince them otherwise.
Her mom’s eyes widened and after shaking Garrett’s hand, George glared at the two with obvious suspicion.
“Fiancé?” he asked, his gaze going back and forth between the two. “Now what is this all about, young lady?” He stared at Tallulah but she didn’t miss the warmth in his eyes when they met hers.
“Yeah, that’s what I want to know,” Ving said, and Jenny gave him an elbow to the gut.
“We didn’t want to steal Ving and Jenny’s thunder,” Garrett supplied. “So we kept things on the down low.”
“Now that you’ve spilled the beans, we want to hear all about it,” her mother said firmly, and Tallulah couldn’t help but squirm under her scrutinizing gaze. “Come on inside. I’ll put on the tea.” She cast Garrett a harsh look. “I want to learn all about the man who is taking my daughter away.” With an efficient clap, her mother began ushering the group inside.
“Jenny and I are going to check on the horses,” Ving said, bailing, because he clearly felt a speech coming, every bit as much as Tallulah did.
With Garrett’s hand on the small of her back, they stepped inside the house and she watched the way he glanced around, looking at the baby pictures lining the walls as they walked the long length of the hall.
“You were a cute kid,” he whispered. When they reached the kitchen, he pulled her chair out for her. Tallulah caught the way her mother was eyeing them, her probing gaze assessing them both carefully. Garrett sat next to her, and since they’d only really just met, it was odd how comforting it felt just having him there, supporting her as she faced her folks and told them a bold faced lie.
Her mom steeped the tea and cut a loaf of banana bread, then placed it on the table. Her father sat at the head of the table and helped himself to a generous piece. As he chewed he kept his eyes on Tallulah, and she tried not to fidget under his inspection.
“So, you’re engaged,” her mother said, getting right to the point as she poured sugar into her tea cup and chased it with a spoon.
Tallulah accepted a cup and took a sip while Garrett added milk and sugar to his. “Yes, I thought you’d be thrilled.”
She looked pointedly at Tallulah and, never one to beat around the bush, she said, “And here I thought you were coming back home to stay.”
Tallulah placed her elbows on the table and began tenting her fingers. Garrett reached out, grabbed her hands in his and pulled them onto his lap.
He gave a reassuring squeeze. “She can’t come back now. She’s up for the director’s position at the day care. She’s been working so hard for this and I’m so proud of her.”
Her mother took a sip of her tea and stared at Garrett over the rim. “But this is where you belong, Lu. This is where your family is.”
Tallulah exhaled slowly, hating the double standards her parents had for their two kids. But she also knew her folks had been getting on in their years when they adopted her and Ving, and their notions on family roles hadn’t changed with the times. Men worked. Women stayed home. Nothing she could do or say would ever change their old-fashioned principals and standards.
“Shouldn’t you be thinking about giving up work so you can stay home and have kids?”
“Mom, lots of people work and raise kids,” Tallulah said carefully, not wanting to upset anyone. The truth was they only wanted what was best for her, and somehow thought they knew what that was.
“Well this is a much better place to raise a family than that dangerous city you’re in.”
“I won’t let anything happen to her.” Garrett put his arm around her in a protective manner, and she met his glance. She caught the possessive way he looked at her, and took a quick breath in a bid to remind herself this wasn’t real. “Not that she needs my protection. She’s an independent woman and can take care of herself.”
Just then her father piped in and turned the conversation to Garrett, grilling him on his work and how he planned to take care of Tallulah now that he’d gotten out of the military.
He told them all about the job he was up for and when he finished Jenny and Ving returned and Tallulah was glad for the interruption.
“We’re going to take off,” Ving said. “We have some last minute things to take care of before our get together at The Hop Yard tonight.”
Tallulah jumped from her chair. “Hang on. I need to get my suitcase.”
Her mom set her cup down and narrowed her eyes. “I didn’t think you’d be settling in to your old room until after the wedding.”
Tallulah’s stomach tightened, not liking the sound of this as her glance bobbed between her mother and father. She dropped back down into her chair, and Garrett reached out for her. “What’s going on?”
“I gave your bedroom away to Aunt Jo and Uncle Bert. They just drove in for the wedding and are up there resting now.”
Tallulah gave a casual shrug and tried to focus on a solution, a difficult task with Garrett’s arm around her shoulders. The combination of his heat and enticing scent were melting her brain cells faster than a nuclear explosion.
“That’s fine, I’ll take Ving’s old room,” she said, knowing Ving and the rest of the bridal party were all staying at the hotel where the wedding activities were taking place.
“Afraid you can’t do that, either.” Her father’s bushy gray brows knitted together over cloudy blue eyes.
She pulled a worried face and leaned forward in her chair. Garrett’s arm fell to the small of her back, his fingers lightly brushing her sensitive skin in a manner that made her wonder how they’d feel moving over another part of her body. A slow burn worked its way through her bloodstream and settled deep between her legs. At least the two would have no problem convincing everyone there was heat between them, a real physical attraction.
“You gave that away too?” she croaked out, struggling to focus her scattered thoughts.
“Your Aunt Betty and Uncle Stan are here too.” Apologetic eyes blinked rapidly. “We thought you’d be staying at the hotel with the rest of the bridal party,” her mother added.
“I didn’t bother to book a room.” A nervous feeling settled in the pit of her stomach, because she suspected the hotel would be full by now. If she didn’t do something fast she would have to bunk with the hot hunk of a guy sitting next to her, a guy who continually made her rethink her position on one-night stands. “I guess there’s always the sofa.”
“I can’t have one of my bridesmaids sleeping on the sofa. Don’t worry, we’ll find you a roommate,” Jenny said, exchanging a private, knowing look with her, one that said her old-fashioned folks never needed to know that her roommate would be none other than her fiancé.
Her glance went to Garrett, and she noted the intense way he looked at her, his piercing baby blues full of heat as they moved over her face. The air around them charged, and her entire body tightened in a way it had never tightened before as warm shivers of awareness hurried down her spine. She bit the inside of her mouth, acutely aware of the sexy man beside her and all the delicious things they could do together. In an instant she knew sharing a room—a bed—with him would be a very, very bad idea.
&nbs
p; Not because she didn’t trust him, but because suddenly, she didn’t trust herself.
Chapter Three
As the rest of the bridal party mingled at the private get together at The Hop Yard, the town’s oldest pub and hang out, Tallulah took that time to catch up with her best friend Kat—short for Katherine Anne Marie Stiller.
Ignoring the din of the crowd, Kat leaned across the table and shook her head in amazement. Her long chestnut curls spilled down her back, and her emerald-green eyes sparkled with mischief. “I don’t know how you did it, Lu. You leave here a sweet and naïve girl only to come back with the hottest guy I’ve ever set eyes on.” Her dreamy glance flickered to Garrett, who was playing a round of pool with Ving and a few other guys, before flittering back to Tallulah. She smacked her lips in delight. “I bet he’s done all kinds of delicious things to corrupt you.”
“Kat,” she admonished, not at all surprised by her friend’s boldness. The two might have been best friends since kindergarten, but Kat was the antithesis of Tallulah in every way possible. Not only was her friend a wild child who went after what she wanted, with no regrets in the morning, she spoke her mind, did just about anything on a dare, and never let anyone push her around or tell her what was best for her.
With heat and strength radiating from him, Garrett leaned against the wall, his pool cue balanced in one hand while he took a long pull from his beer bottle. “Holy Hell, talk about testosterone in a T-shirt.” Kat’s glance panned him once again, then her grin widened naughtily when he pushed off the wall, and bent over the table to take a shot. “Look at that ass.” She let loose a long whistle, took a sip of her fruity drink and winked before saying, “He looks great in a pair of jeans but I bet he looks even better out of them.”
Tallulah’s mind raced, certain her friend was right, but not wanting to spend any more time thinking about Garrett’s ass, in or out of jeans, otherwise she might never be able to behave herself behind closed doors tonight.
“If all the guys in Texas look like that, then maybe I’ll make that move to Austin sooner rather than later.”